Durrell Law Group Support Staff

A Team Approach to Serving Clients

At Durrell Law Group, we take a team approach, believing that our combined skills working together is the best way to serve our clients’ business law and estate planning needs. In addition to our attorneys, we have a talented team of paralegals and other support staff, including:

  • Alisha E. Hartley, Paralegal

  • Susan L. Beach, Legal Secretary

  • Margo P. Gillis, Office Assistant

Alisha Hartley
Paralegal

Alisha was born and raised in Eagle River, Alaska. She graduated from the University of Alaska Anchorage (UAA) in 2007 with a Bachelor of Arts degree in justice. At that time, she also earned her paralegal certificate through UAA’s American Bar Association-approved paralegal studies program. Prior to graduating, Alisha worked for Durrell Law Group for four years while completing her degree. As a final step in the paralegal program, she completed her internship at the firm as well. Alisha assists in the management of estate planning and probate matters, corporate maintenance, and the organization of limited liability companies and corporations.

Q&A with Alisha

  • The challenging nature of legal work is exciting, provides for continuous personal growth and learning, and no two client projects are identical, which is refreshing.

  • Organizing new entities, drafting estate plans, and assisting with real estate transactions are some of my favorite projects. Being part of these significant moments for our clients is very enriching.

  • I want to be available to our clients and provide them with timely, reliable answers to their questions. I want clients to feel like they can call me or email me and get answers to their questions.

  • The people, their stories, their history, and our close-knit, giving community, and the Alaska outdoors.

  • I love taking my three kids and husband to visit our family home on the Kenai River in Soldotna, going on family bike rides, hiking, skiing, sledding, fishing, camping, family bonfires, and all the typical outdoor Alaska activities.

Rebecca Metcalf
Paralegal

Becky was born and raised in Alaska, on Dena’ina land. She grew up in west Anchorage and graduated from Dimond High School. Becky has over 14 years of experience as a legal assistant. She was previously employed with a local law office, where she was the supervising legal assistant. She joined Durrell Law Group in 2022, and assists attorneys with entity organization, entity compliance, probate and trust administration, and estate planning.

Q&A with Becky

  • Gathering and assembling information to present a neat, organized product for our clients. I enjoy being a reliable part of a dedicated team that not only values our clients, but each other as well.

  • In 2012, while working with the State of Alaska, I received the Rising Star and Leadership awards for my work and mentorship in the department.

  • I appreciate our immense diversity of people and cultures.

  • In the summer, you can find me in my garden with my flowers. I spend a lot of time being the number one fan for my son and daughter at their various sporting events.

  • A kamek (gum-ek) pen holder that children at the Head Start in Nondalton, Alaska, made for me. Kamek is Yupik for boot.

Susan Beach
Legal Secretary

Susan was born in Subic Bay, Philippines, and lived there for two years. Her father was a Naval Officer so she was raised throughout the West Coast, with two three-year stays in Adak, Alaska. Susan graduated from Bartlett High School, then attended the University of Alaska Anchorage, where she was working toward a business major. Her husband’s military career transferred their family to Killeen, Texas, where she continued her studies and graduated from Central Texas College in 1999. Her family moved back to Anchorage in 2000. She has been married for 28 years and has two children. Susan has worked as a legal secretary in Anchorage for more than 22 years.

Q&A with Susan

  • I like to be challenged and legal work is both challenging and exciting.

  • The people I get to meet.

  • I want all of our clients to always feel welcome, whether it is over the phone or in person. I also want our clients to know that we will do everything we can to help them in whatever they are trying to accomplish.

  • UNICEF, Friends of Pets, Food Bank of Alaska, Bean’s Café, and during the holidays we like to help put together food baskets for families in need at different schools.

  • The people and all the stories that come with them.

  • I like going to all of the different festivals that happen year-round. I absolutely love going places in Alaska with our four dachshunds.

  • My husband is a retired Army veteran. Both of our children graduated from high school in Anchorage. Since our children don’t need direct care anymore, I’ve taken to spending most of my time caring for our four dachshunds: Doc Holiday, Tilly Mae, Penny Lou and Gus Gus.

  • A bell from Nepal that Brian brought back from his trip.

Margo Gillis
Office Assistant

Margo was born and raised in Anchorage, Alaska. She graduated from Steller Secondary in 2020 and is currently studying psychology at Alaska Pacific University. Margo completed an intensive justice and law program at Georgetown University in 2018. She also participated in a gifted mentorship program in 2019, working with at-risk youth through Anchorage Community Mental Health Services, where she led workshops and presentations teaching life skills to adolescents lacking stable support systems in their home lives. Prior to joining Durrell Law Group in 2020, Margo worked for the Alaska Tobacco Enforcement Program, doing compliance checks to ensure tobacco retailers were enforcing laws regarding distribution of tobacco products to minors.

Q&A with Margo

  • I am passionate about organization and good client service. This position allows me to practice both on a daily basis. Working at the front desk is an opportunity to shape the first impression of our office to each client who comes in our door. When I enter a waiting room, I want to feel welcome and comfortable so I try to incorporate those into each interaction with our clients so they know how grateful we are to have them here. Additionally, being a clerical assistant includes a lot of filing and sorting documents. Keeping things organized throughout the office helps make things easier for everyone here. I truly love taking a messy, disorganized space and turning it into a more efficient setup.

  • I adore the variety of what I do in the office: from greeting clients, filing/organizing, processing mail, making tea and coffee for clients, to assisting the attorneys and paralegals in our office. I get to be a part of many different areas of work in our office, which always keeps things interesting.

  • I was selected as Alaska Pacific University’s Outstanding Counseling Psychology Student of the Year in 2023 during my junior year. It was such an honor to be recognized by our psychology department.

  • I love the abundance of nature throughout Alaska. I’m incredibly passionate about environmentalism and I’m so grateful to live in a place with such a variety of opportunities to enjoy nature in relatively unscathed environments.

  • I love taking my cat on hikes with me. She has a little harness so she can walk on her own, as well as a strap-on carrier so she can ride on my chest when her little legs get tired. I also enjoy tending to my indoor compost bin at home, which inhabits over 5 pounds of worms who eat all of our kitchen scraps and produce a great fertilizer for gardening! Outside of work, I also enjoy roller-skating around town. And if I’m feeling adventurous, you can catch me at the skatepark trying out new tricks and jumps on my roller-skates.

  • I love keeping goofy or sweet post-it notes from my coworkers around my workspace. And I usually have at least one note from myself reminding me to breathe or be mindful.

Mac Lethenstrom
IT Administrator

Mac was born and raised in Anchorage, Alaska. He attended Service High School, where he graduated in 2004. Previously, he was employed by a local title company as IT administrator while independently providing consulting services for a variety of small and medium-sized businesses throughout the community. He joined Durrell Law Group in 2009.

Q&A with Mac

  • Computers and technology have always been of interest to me and part of my daily life dating back to grade school.

  • The landscape of technology is constantly shifting and evolving, which keeps the field fresh and intriguing. Rarely will your day-to-day feel like a routine as there is always something new to learn or experience.

  • Being able to provide the firm with the latest technologies to increase efficiency and help to better serve our clients is very rewarding.

  • Growing up in Alaska has provided the opportunity to see many different places throughout the state. Alaska is home to such a diverse number of cultures and activities, which allows for entertainment year-round.

  • Fishing is a favorite pastime of mine. During the summer months, there is an abundant variety of species and techniques, which always keeps it entertaining!